goods & services “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change...
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goods & services
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it was the only thing that ever has.”
- Margaret Mead
Green Home Buying, Selling and Remodeling
Introduction“Eighty-five percent of the green home buyers said they were more satisfied with their new green homes than with their previous, more traditionally built homes.” EcoBroker Survey
EcoBroker® is an exclusive program for real estate professionals and affiliates who care about our environment and who want to encourage and teach others about energy-efficient and green features in homes and buildings.
EcoBroker® Overview
The EcoBroker logo is the symbol of environmentally responsible and sustainable practices in the real estate industry.
•We are 2 of roughly 1800 EcoBrokers out of 1 million plus Realtors in the US. In other terms, less than 1% of Realtors have this designation.
•The 2 main areas EcoBrokers address are: environmental issues (radon, asbestos, lead, water, mold, indoor air quality, etc) energy efficiency technologies (sustainable energy options, xeriscaping, energy efficient mortgage options, etc.)
Santa Barbara is Unique• Santa Barbara is not immune to declining real
estate values, but we are insulated. • This insulation is due to many factors: virtually no
new building, geographic location, cost, basic laws of supply and demand as well as the desire to live in paradise.
• Real Estate is a long term investment and green building and remodeling are a lifestyle choice.
• They can and should go together.• There are a handful of Green Homes in Santa
Barbara that we are aware of and some are currently for sale. We are always thrilled to hear of green projects that our clients and friends are taking on. It makes our day!
“Residential and commercial buildings consume 65% of total U.S. electricity, emit 30% of U.S. greenhouse gases and produce 136 million tons of construction and demolition waste. ” The Alliance To Save Energy
Your Home Is Your Sanctuary• With the high cost of purchasing houses in SB, many
people purchase homes that are not their “dream home” and over the years they remodel.
• Updating your kitchen and bathrooms, planning low irrigation landscaping, installing Energy Star appliances, are just some of the many ways to make your home greener.
Green Building Is Here To Stay
• Based on a survey of NAHB home builders conducted by McGraw-Hill Construction, between 40% and 50% of the homes built in 2010 are expected to be green. That represents a major upsurge of activity in the green market. Last year, an estimated 2% — or $7.4 billion — of the residential construction market was green.
• A new home buyer survey has found a high degree of customer satisfaction with green homes. Sixty-three percent of the green home buyers in the poll said that their green purchases were motivated by the lower operating and maintenance costs that come with energy- and resource-efficient homes.
What Is A Green Home?• Energy efficiency• Solar panels• Xeriscaping• Recycled materials• Low VOC paints• Solar panels• On demand hot
water heaters
New technologies are coming out all the time!
verde ~ Spanish & Italian
녹색 ~ Korean
vert ~ French
Grün ~ German
зеленый цвет ~ Russian
绿色 ~ Chinese
groen ~ Dutch
gräsplan ~ Swedish
األخضر Arabic ~ اللون
緑 ~ Japanese
Green Building Is Here To StayThe public interest in sustainability extends into the existing market, with the survey finding that about 40% of home owners who had recently completed remodeling or renovation work on their properties had used green products or materials.
Ninety-two percent of the builder members participating in the McGraw-Hill research said that they are moving toward green building because it’s "the right thing to do.”
Increasing energy efficiency in buildings by 30% will, in-itself, save $7 billion annually and reduce the $100 Billion that the U.S. spends to ensure the free flow of oil from volatile regions of the world, not to mention reducing the cataclysmic
potential of global warming. As The Alliance To Save Energy states "Energy efficiency is the quickest, cheapest, cleanest way to extend our world's energy
supplies."
The National MarketA home’s value increases by about $20 for every $1 reduction in
annual utility bills.
94% of 300 American surveyed cited their most sought-after green upgrade as energy savings.
Roughly nine in ten people (91%) said energy-efficient features in a new home are extremely or very important.
The National Market
With the help of energy-efficient technologies, Americans saved over $8 billion on their energy bills
while preventing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the emissions of 18 million vehicles.
Builders have constructed over 360,000 Energy Star® qualified new homes, nearing 10% market penetration of annual new homes built nationwide.
Why work with an EcoBroker®?
Buyer Benefits:
• Save money
• Find homes with green features easily
• Live comfortably
• Work with a professional real estate agent who cares
Seller Benefits:
•Sell for more
•Distinguish your home from the competition
•Attract more buyers
•Work with a professional real estate agent who cares
What can you expect from your EcoBroker®?
Perspective on: •Home comfort, safety, and durability•Environmental issues•Energy-efficiency•The “green” market
Value-added services that make a difference to you, your family, and the environment.
As two of the first EcoBrokers in Santa Barbara, we encourage everyone else in our industry to become EcoBroker certified too. The more green educated we all are the better, after all isn’t that why we are here tonight?
Benefits
Let’s take a look at some of things you may not have noticed without the experienced assistance of an
EcoBroker®…
Built Green® Homes
This is a Built Green certified home, but it doesn’t look any different from the outside.
Built Green® Santa BarbaraBuilt Green Santa Barbara •Is a voluntary environmental building program that distinguishes and promotes resource efficient development, design, and construction. •Incorporates environmentally sensitive site planning, resource efficient building materials and superior indoor air environmental quality. •The program offers detailed information, materials, and a checklist rating system to help participants. The checklist serves as a guide in making hundreds of decisions that are a usual part of the building process.
Currently there are 25 completed certified Built Green projects and 43 in progress in the Santa Barbara area.
Design - Passive Solar
This home utilizes a direct gain passive solar design with overhangs.
Energy Efficiency - Photovoltaic
Stand-alone photovoltaics for locations off the grid.
Energy Efficiency - Photovoltaic
Headline in LA Times Sept. 25, 2007
Sun-powered homes defy a cool housing marketBuilders say buyers are seeking them out, and solar industry officials say growth is going through the roof.
By Elizabeth Douglass, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
“…there is a bright spot in California's residential real estate market: Solar-powered homes are starting to outsell traditionally electrified new homes in several markets, and developers are stepping up their use of the technology.”
Energy Efficiency - Solar Water & Space Heating
This home utilizes an active solar space heating system, with liquid solar collectors on roof.
Energy Efficiency - Appliances
Energy-efficient, water-conserving washer and dryer.
Tip: Reuse rinse water (use Oasis laundry detergent) and you can always hang your close on the line to dry!
•ENERGY STAR® labeled appliances typically exceed federal minimum efficiency by 15-20%.
•Households that replace existing equipment with ENERGY STAR qualified products can cut energy bills by 30% or more than $450 per year.
•The ENERGY STAR can be found on more than 40 product categories in your home.
Indoor Air QualityRADON IN SANTA BARBARA• Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. It is released
during the natural decay of uranium, which is found in most rock and soil and its occurrence in the state is influenced primarily by geology. Radon is odorless, invisible, and without taste, and cannot be detected with the human senses. The only way to detect it is to test for it.
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists radon as the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States behind smoking, responsible for up to 30,000 deaths per year.
• EPA has established an action level of 4 pCi/L (pico curies per liter) units of radon. If a house is determined to have an annual average
higher than this, then mitigation work should be performed. Various surveys (by UCLA, UCSB, and the California DHS) have shown that about 70% of homes on the Rincon Shale have radon levels above this action level. That’s our foothills!
• Since its discovery in the early 1990’s, there have been numerous tests for radon and many homes have been repaired. The solution is to test! There are Radon Home Test kits available through the Calif. Dept of Health Services and hardware stores to test the levels in your home.
Indoor Air Quality
Radon mitigation systems.
Indoor Air Quality• Zone 1 counties have a
predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L (pico curies per liter)
(red zones) Highest Potential
Indoor Air Quality - Mold
Indoor Air Quality - Mold• Santa Barbara’s coastal climate and
humidity promote the growth of mold and mildew in places such as window sills, shower stalls and other similar places
• The key to mold control is moisture control: If mold is a problem in your home, you should clean up the mold promptly and fix the water problem. It is important to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth.
• Hire an expert to properly test for and clean up mold in your home!
Indoor Air Quality - Paint
Healthier Indoor Air Quality - use of low VOC paints and non-toxic substances.
Healthier Paint• Low or No-VOC Paint These paints reduce the risk of
paint 'microflakes' in your home because they do not contain any mercury, lead cadmium, or chromium. When choosing a paint, always go for a lighter color and a lower gloss. These contain less VOCs than darker colors and higher gloss paints.
• Natural Paint Derived from natural raw materials such as citrus and balsam, natural paints are the safest way to paint for your family and the environment. One major health benefit from using natural paints is they repel toxic pesticides such as biocides and fungicides from entering the walls of your home.
• Water-Based Paint Unlike alkyd and solvent based paints which can contain over 300 toxic ingredients, water-based paint uses water as a thinner or base with no harmful solvents. In situations that need tough, water repellent finishes, look for 100% acrylic low emission paints as a greener option.
Conservation
Water quality and water
usage should be considered. We live in a desert!
Water Conservation
• In the United States, showers are responsible for 18% of a homes indoor water use! By simply changing your shower head to a high performance shower head, you can cut down your water use in the shower by up to 60%, using only 1 to 1.5 gallons per minute, instead of the 4 or 5 gallons per minute used by less efficient shower heads. Add Low-Flow valves on faucets too!
• Toilets are also a big water consumer in the home. The average toilet uses 4.5 gallons of water per flush. Replacing your conventional toilet with a low-flow toilet that only uses 1.6 gallons per flush will make a big difference in your water consumption, reducing water use by about 34%.
• Lawns in the US consume around 270 Billion gallons of water a week! Look for drought tolerant and native plant landscaping alternatives!
Green Financing
Energy-efficient mortgages are not just for homes that are already energy-efficient. They can help pay for improvements.
Work with people committed to the environment!
Marketing Your Green Home• Independent – supports Green Living• Outside the Box
– Open Houses– TV– Home Tours
• Online Resources– GreenHomesForSale.com– ListedGreen.com– VillageSite.com– GreenHomesSB.com– SantaBarbaraEcoBroker.com
Your Next Green Home:• Remodel an existing home vs
building new (save tons of materials)
• Downsize to a “Not so big house”
• Move close to restaurants, shops & grocery stores and cut down on your transportation needs
• Buy property with natural lighting (south facing) and cooling from mature shade trees
• Buy a home that has space for your backyard food forest!
Take Advantage of EcoBroker® Services
• We can help in changing market conditions• We care and have the expertise that
makes a difference• We know how to market your property as
to create a competitive advantage• We are two real estate professionals who
love what they do and look forward to educating you more about the benefits of a future friendly home!
Contact DeAnn Bauer, EcoBroker® to help in buying, selling or creating your next Future-Friendly home!
www.GreenHomesSB.com
www.VillageSite.com
805.451.7488